Family of Late Aggie Donates Tree to CVM

Tree dedicated to Michael Barnett
The tree planted in honor of Michael Barnett

For Michael Barnett, a member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie class of ’81, Texas A&M University was a second home.

It was here that he watched his sister become a veterinarian, discovered his passion for landscaping, met his wife of 34 years, and sent his two daughters to college.

When Michael passed away in 2015, his family chose to honor him in a way that would have made him proud—by donating a bench and planting a tree outside of the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (CVM). The tree, a southern live oak, is located by parking lot 13, and the bench is located in the Veterinary & Biomedical Education Complex (VBEC) courtyard.

During his time as a student at Texas A&M, Michael worked as a lawn spray technician for A-Perm-O-Green Lawn. After graduating with a degree in accounting, Michael and his wife, Becky Barnett, purchased the company and his passion for people and the outdoors continued to flourish.

Becky describes her husband as a man with morals, character, and an infectious love for life.

“Mike never met a stranger, and he spoke to anyone,” she said. “Mike was always singing, whistling, or making corny jokes and was generally regarded as ‘the happiest man I ever met.’”

Michael carried the Aggie spirit with him wherever he went and loved the traditions and values that his beloved Texas A&M stood for.

“‘Howdy’ is how he addressed everyone, not ‘hi’ or ‘hello,’ but a big ole ‘HOWDY,’” Becky said. “Mike worked long, hard hours and was always on his feet. He generally did not like standing around. However, at Texas A&M football games, he did not take a seat. He wore his favorite A&M shirt and stood tall and proud as the 12th Man, and it was an honor for him to do so.”

When it came time for Michael and Becky’s daughters, Jennifer and Emily, to apply for college, they knew Texas A&M University was their first and only option.

Jennifer, ‘12, and Emily, ‘16, both received Bachelor of Science degrees in biomedical sciences. Jennifer is now a fourth-year veterinary student at Texas A&M.

“He always told our daughters that if they attended Texas A&M he would pay for their education, because ‘Texas A&M is the only university worthy of [his] hard-earned money,’” Becky joked.

Before Michael passed, he told Emily that he was working on a new song. The lyrics he had written were “sitting on a bench, counting the raindrops, thinking about you.” After Michael’s death, Emily finished writing the song for her father.

“The bench was donated by our family and relatives in his memory and it was perfect for the song lyrics he wrote the summer he passed away,” Becky said. “The tree was planted at the new vet school in memory of the Aggie ‘roots’ he established and for all the years he worked tirelessly doing what he loved—working outdoors and creating beautiful lawns and landscapes.

“There were so many places we could have chosen for the memorial, especially in the field he dedicated so much of his life to, but we just felt compelled that only one place fitting and deserving to honor his memory and the love he had for his children was Texas A&M vet school,” she said. “He was one proud Aggie dad.”

###

For more information about the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216


Print
Show Buttons
Hide Buttons